This application has subject matter in common with the inventor's U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 12/624,621, 12/622,100, 12/318,471, 12/318,470, 12/318,473, 12/292,153, 12/232,505, 12/232,035, 12/149,963, 12/149,964, 12/073,095, 12/073,889, 12/007,076, 12/003,691, 12/003,809, 11/806,711, 11/806,285, 11/806,284, 11/566,322, 11/527,628, 11/527,629, 11/498,874, 12/545,992, 12/806,711, 12/806,285, 12/806,284, 12/566,322, 12/527,628, 12/527,629, 12/527,631, 12/502,661, 11/498,881, 11/255,981, 11/184,771, 11/152,063, 11/094,215, 11/092,742, 11/092,741, 11/094,156. 11/094,155. 10/954,189, 10/902,123, 10/883,719, 10/883,747, 10/341,519, 12/545,992, 12/292,580, 12/710,918, 12/622,000, 12/710,561, 12/710, 12/711,456, and 12/771,003.
The above-listed earlier filed cases apply optic theory to LED lights for outdoor or indoor application, and that are powered by alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC) supplied by and electric cord and plug for an outlet, a battery, a transformer, a solar power source, or another power source to create a plurality of LED light beams to illuminate a close area(s) and a remote area(s), the remote area being illuminated by projection means which may further incorporate the inventor's previously-disclosed features, such as more than one light source, more than one function, more than one optics means, and more than one projection means, utilizing the inventor's additional power saving and cost saving concepts.
Current market-available night lights have no projection function. To make up for this lack of a projection night light, the present inventor filed a large number of prior patent applications. The night light of the current invention improves upon the inventor's prior night lights in that the night light of the present invention not only may be powered by an outlet power source via prong means, but it also can be used on a desk top or any other location where light illumination can be provided to people during the night for indoors or outdoors use, the invention being applicable to any light device in which a night light has a built-in projection light for any purpose.
While projection lights are known in the toy market, there is no prior projection light having a built-in night light because a night light needs a continuous power source. Furthermore, the majority of projection lights are powered by batteries and have incandescent bulb light sources, which cannot be left continuously on because the batteries will last less than several hours. However, using newly available LEDs for power saving, one can get tens of hours if incorporated with the inventor's power saving circuit (described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/711,456 and other patent applications of the inventor), so that the batteries will last more longer. The LED night lights having projection means described in the inventor's allowed U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 12/232,505, 12/292,153, 12/318,473 differ from the conventional single projection lights for toys, hand-held projection lights, or desk top projection lights in that the conventional single projection lights lack the following features:                (a) a continuous switch position to keep the night light on all the time;        (b) housing parts designed to project light to and sit on a surface;        (c) a built-in night light—the majority of desk top projection lights not only lack a continuous turn-on night light switch, but even do not have a steady-on select switch;        (d) a power saving circuit selection—because earlier items were powered by a bulb which has super big power consumption, they have no night light function;        (e) a focus mechanism for obtaining a clear image during long distance projection—the majority provide only provide a clear image over a short distance from the projection head to the projection surface, which is not longer than people's one arms total length, with toys generally being designed for projection to a desk surface or near a wall so that larger, more distant images will not be clear at all;        (f) adjustable focus features for long distance projection beyond a human arm length; and        (g) a swivel, spin, or rotate projection head design to allow an image to change position at any time and stay there while putting the projection light on a surface—because hand-carried items do not need to spin, but rather can change projection direction just by moving one's hand, such items do not need a swivel, spin, or rotate mechanism.        
In contrast, features of preferred embodiments of an LED light with built-in projection light and night light include:    (1) The LED light with built-in projection light and night light can be connected to either an outlet power source or battery (energy storage means) to project an image, time, weather, message, display, digital data, cartoon characters, advertisement, seasonal data, promotion art, or other any other signals to people, so that the desired night light can have all kinds of light sources available from the marketplace, which is a very good combination;    (2) The LED light with built-in projection light and night light may incorporate a desired combination of switch means, conductive means, sensor means, remote control means, wireless means, digital data means, transmission means, photo sensor means, manual switch means, automatic means, motor means, gear set means, swivel means, rotating means, spin means, USB means, digital data storage means to have a proper function to cause the projection light to have desired functions, effects, or performance;    (3) The projection light and night light of the LED light can be turned on and off according to a predetermined timing, to provide desired light functions and performance selected from the marketplace.    (4) The projection light can have extra features including (4a) focus adjustment, (4b) changeable projection head position or orientation to project the image anywhere as desired, (4c) a projection head that can swivel, rotate, or spin, (4d) a proper housing design to allow the unit to be installed on any surface without movement, (4e) motor means to cause an image to be continuously changing, (4f) gear set means to cause the image to rotate at a desired speed, (4g) the image can be projected to appear a long distance away from the projection head, (4h) the LED light can be in the form of a desk top light with a base having a built-in night light with a switch to turn it on and for an extended period of time.    (5) The projection light may have a focus designed for a long distance which at least longer than arm's length.    (6) The projection light may project a focused image over a distance of three feet or more.